Two Beds And A Coffee Machine
by flamingflight
Summary: A sweet wife and her abusive husband...and the terrible result...


Two Beds And A Coffee Machine  
By Max-chan  
  
Author's Notes: I just heard this song and had to write something about it. Try to guess who it is until the end and I know I make it so ovbvious who it is, but at least appease my ego and pretend you were surprised, okay? So, here it is, enjoy. Oh yeah, e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. Okay? Peace.  
  
Disclaimers: The song two beds and a coffee machine (I'm not even dure if that's it's real name) belongs to Savage Garden and Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He had came home that night drunk and raving. She had just put the children to bed before going to her own treacherous bed and laying down to sleep. Around midnight the bedroom door had been kicked open and he had stumbled in before closing it blidnly. She had sat up quickly, her eyes holding the fear yet determination she always had around him...no, not always...not before...  
The thick, foul stench of alcohol filled the room and she had to try her best to refrain from visbly gagging. Her husband looked disdainfully at her then, as if she was a pesky insect in his bedroom. He staggered over to her and when he was beside the bed and looked down at her the golden-brown haired woman felt a knot of fear tie in her throat.   
  
His face was only a few inches away from her and his breath reaked of alcohol. The dark, black-haired man's eyes were stormy with unconstrained fury.  
"What were you doing at your father's house, K-chan?" he asked her menacingly and she cringed with fright.  
Looking down she said, "I- I missed him. And my little sister just had her baby, I had to go visit."  
  
The animal inside him suddenly exploded and giving a feral, animal cry he picked up the glass lamp beside the bed and threw it at the wall, smashing it into pieces.  
K-chan looked first at the smash of the lamp before snapping her head quickly over to stare in awe at him, her knuckles holding the sheet so tight they became white.  
  
"You little, coniving, manipulative liar! I know why you went to your father's house, you wanted to tell him how bad I treated you, didn't you? But as always before, neither him or his sister's believed you!" he shouted spitefully, his voice full of venom-edged knives that hit her to the very core as his own fist hit her face. He was right, she had tried to convince her father and sisters once again of what he was doing to her, but just like before they didn't believe her sweet husband would do a thing like that.  
  
"Ugggggghhhhh!" he shouted and grunted again showing off his fury by throwing a small couch they had in their room against the wall. She scrambled out of be and scurried down the hall towards the bathroom, locking it as she covered her ears. But the sounds didn't stop for he continued to rant, rave and throw things. After awhile, she heard no more sounds and opened her eyes and removed her hands from her ears as she cautiously unlocked the bedroom and walked down the hall towards their bedroom.  
  
{And she takes another step, slowly she opens the door  
Check that he is sleeping, pick up all the broken glass  
And furniture on the floor}  
  
K-chan walked inside and saw her husband passed out on the floor. Quietly walking passed him she proceeded to pick up all the glass. One large piece cut her palm and she cried out not so much as in pain but as in hopelessness. The dark blood oozed out and she quickly tore off a part of the sheet and bandaged her hand. She didn't have much time left.  
  
{Been up half the night screaming and now it was time to get away  
Pack up the kids in the car}  
  
Walking in small, quick steps, the oman entered her children's bedroom and woke them all up as she carried the sleeping baby from it's crib.  
"Where are we going, mommy?" one of her children asked, a small tiny brown haired girl like her.  
"Away," was all she said as she pulled them along.  
  
Once they were in the car, K-chan checked the mirror in the sunblock and tried desperatly to use the make-up she had in the car to hide it so no one would notice or question it...especially her children.  
  
{Another bruise to try and hide,  
Another alibi to write}  
  
As she drove out of the driveway, K-chan felt her heart calm down a little and she drew in a quick breath. She had to be brave...she had to be strong. But, the problem was she never needed to be like that before. When she was younger and full of hopes and dreams, she lived in a household where the people loved, cherished and protected her from the outside cruel world. Her sisters who protected her at all costs and her father...oh gosh, she missed him the most. Her daddy had always been there for her as both a father and a mother figure since her mom had died a couple years after she was born.  
  
{Another ditch in the road,  
You keep moving,  
Another stop sign,  
You keep moving on}  
  
It had been so long, it seemed as if yesterday she was this beautiful, young girl with hopes and dreams when she met this older man and fell in love. Her husband had once been so caring, so shy and cautious around her. He had once worshiped the ground she walked on, but now...now she had grown up...and things changed...people changed...and the young girl with the foolish dreams was dead.  
  
{And these years go by so fast,  
wonder how I ever made it through}  
  
She wouldn't have stayed for so long...but it wasn't just her...it was her children as well. Although, her once unblemished love for her husband had long ago died down and been replaced with fearful disgust K-chan loved her children with her whole heart. Looking in the rear-view mirror she saw her two oldest children sleeping beside each other and her tiny baby girl, barely old enough to walk in the carseat.  
  
{And there are children to think of,  
Baby's asleep in the backseat}  
  
K-chan suspected her oldest daughter, though her young age, suspected something about her mother's bruises and the trips in the night away from the house. Yet, the sweet young thing remained brave and strong, telling her younger siblings of beautiful places where there were candies and endless seas of gold...where they wouldn't hear screaming and yelling anymore...when they would all be safe. She told them that the small 2-star motels they went to were really inhabited old castles run by an evil overlord that captured them and one day their Prince will come and save them all...  
  
{Wonder how they'll ever make it through this living nightmare,  
but the mind is an amazing thing,   
full of candied dreams, and new toys and another cheap hotel  
Two beds and a coffe machine}  
  
K-chan immediatly stopped the car and dropped her head onto the steering wheel as she tried to clear her mind of all thoughts. Whatever has happened? How in the world did she let it get to this point...where was the happy existence she once lived? Where was the man she had once loved and adored so?  
  
{But there are groceries to buy  
and she knows she has to go home}  
  
Too late now, she thought desperatly. She had depended that her family will need her forever and so sacrificed herself and never got any degree and no job will accept someone without at the least a highschool diploma. Her family doesn't believe her and there was no way she could possibly feed or clothe her children alone.  
She'll have to go back.  
Just like all the times before.  
  
{Another ditch in the road,  
you keep moving  
another stop sign  
you keep moving on and these years go by so fast  
wonder how I ever made it through}  
  
Yes, she'll have to go back again...back to him...just like she had everytime before.  
  
{Another bruise to try and hide  
another alibi to write,  
another lonely highway in the dark of night}  
  
Turning the car around, K-chan drove back home, a determined gleam in her eyes.  
  
When she reached the house, the woman put her children to bed and kissed every single one on the forehead as she whispered, "I love you." and a tears found it's way down her cheek.  
First, her oldest 4-year-old daughter, Kasumi she said, "I'll always love you darling, you have always been my strength and what kept me going on. But-but when I'm gone... you have to protect your two little sisters, okay darling? Do whatever you can, but protect them from your father. Remember that, Kasumi darling."  
Somehow in that moment, Kasumi knew that she would never see her mother again and she hugged her neck tight as she whispered, "I will, mommy, I love you."  
  
K-chan nodded as she held back the tears and walked over to her second daughter's bed and she whispered to her darling little accountant, "I love you, Nabiki-chan, I always will, you know that don't you? You have a talent, baby, don't let it gop to waste and don't let anyone stomp over you either. You were born to be a leader. Protect Kasumi and Akane for me. They need you."  
Nabiki nodded as she whispered, "I love you."  
  
Finally, K-chan walked by the crib and stared down at her tiny daughter. She finally had enough a nd broke into tears as she picked her baby up and whispered, "You know, the thing I miss the most is never finding out who you are. Who you will be. But I love you already, honey, so don't worry. Wherever you go, whatever you do, and whatever you become, mommy will always love you and you will always have your two sisters to turn too. Your Prince will come one day too, darling, and he will save you. Sleep well, my sweet little Akane and know that you are loved and safe."  
Yet, the child continued to sleep as her mother held her for the last time before putting her down.  
  
K-chan sighed softly, regretfully before stiffening and walking into her bedroom, where her husband Soun was still passed out. Walking over, she picked up a large piece of glass and watched as it gleamed.  
  
{Yet, there's hope in the darkness   
and know you're gonna make it}  
  
With a quick, easy swipe, the piece of glass went down on K-chan's wrist and she laid down as the blood flowed through her body, carrying her pain with it.  
  
{Another ditch in the road,  
you keep moving  
another stop sign  
you keep moving on  
and the years go by so fast,  
silver fortress built to last}  
  
Kimiko Washuki Tendo felt her life leave her and she sighed one last time as a smile graced her face and she closed her eyes for the last time.  
  
{Wonder how I ever made it through...}  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The rain pattered down as the crowd of mourning people left the cemetary in their dark clothes. Pained with guilt, Soun walked over to his young 4-year-old daughter whom he hasn't spoken to since the incident. Nabiki sat beside her sister and in Kasumi's arms was a squirming Akane, not knowing what was going on.  
  
"Um...Kasumi?" he asked, his voice pained. When his daughter looked up at him with those emotionless, hollow eyes he wondered if she knew.  
"Yes, father?" Father. Not daddy. She had called him father.  
"I'm sorry," was all he could manage to say.   
  
Kasumi wanted to rant at him, rave at him. Rip his eyes out for killing her mother with his verbal and physical abuse...but she couldn't...because she needed to protect herself, Nabiki and Akane from his wrath. He never touched them before and as long as she remained his naive, devoted daughter, he will never touch her or her sisters in the future.  
  
Looking at her father straight in the eye, her golden brown eyes liquid with tears, she said, her voice raw with pain, "Why be sorry, father? It's not your fault. Grandpa and auntie told me, mommy had pyscological problems and was unstable. It's not your fault she wasn't a good wife." That was when the little girl broke out crying and Soun offered and comforting arm. As she sobbed in her father's shoulders, Kasumi hugged her sister's body tighter to hers and thought to herself *I'll always protect you, Akane, nomatter the cost.*  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Good night, Kasumi," Soun called out to his oldest daughter as she walked up the stairs to bed.  
"Good night, father," she sweetly replied back.  
  
Soun sighed and looked back at the shogi board. Over the years, he had told Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane that their mother died of pyscological problems. And they appeared to believe him, but his middle daughter treated him with cold anymosity throughout t he years and there were times when he would catch sweet, oblivious Kasumi with cold, pure hatred in her eyes and then it would be gone...and he would believe that he imagined it all.  
  
Then, Soun looked over to where his youngest daughter was arguing with her fiancee, Ranma. And he smiled. Akane still loved him, though, and she didn't know what he had done and the mistakes he had made in his younger years...and she will never know... he will make sure of it. His youngest daughter will not look at him with hatred in her eyes and to her he will always be her sweet, crybaby father that she'll protect in his later years.   
  
Yes, all he had left was Akane.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She was over her own body, watching as Ranma hugged her body and begged and pleaded her to come back. She couldn't, though, it was so much better here. So, so much better.  
  
"Akane," she suddenly heard a soft, soothing voice say and she turned around abruptly to see a young 20-something year old woman with dark brown hair and eyes like Kasumi's. She remembere her from the photos.  
"Mommy?" she said as tears entered unwillingly to her eyes.  
"Shh, shhh, it's okay," her mother soothed and comforted her and then moved her to shoulder-length and said in a mistifyed tone, "My little baby has grown up. And you are so much stronger then me. Then Kasumi. Then Nabiki. Your the strongest one in spirit, you are. Never like me. I was weak...but my daughter...hwo strong you are...yes...I am very proud of my little Akane..."  
  
"Let me go with you," the teenaged girl beseached.  
"No, no no darling girl. Look down there," her mother pointed to Ranma, "Listen."  
  
"...wake up...wake up so that I can tell you...tell you that I-" but he didn't finish. Akane turned confused eyes to her mother nad the older woman said softly, almost music-like, "He loves you, darling and you love him. He's the Prince that I have searched for all my life... you have found him...so don't let him go..."  
  
"Now go," she whispered and pushed her daughter's spirit back into her body and watched as a joyous Ranma found a reason to live again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma walked onto the roof and saw her laying there, sleeping, her hands acting as her pillow after the disasterous wedding today. Smiling he walked over and placed a regular pillow under her and a blanket over her. Giving another wistful smile, he pushed her hair from her face and catching himself quickly, he shook his head and entered the house.  
  
Up on the roof, Akane smiled as a beautiful, soothing voice sang, "You keep moving on..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


End file.
